Names
by Avalon Fletcher
Summary: A fourpart story about Rogue's journey to live with her power, and figure out who she is. Extended Hiatus.


A/N: This is part one of a three parter comparing Rogue's power developments, how she deals, and her names. There are no ships as of yet, but that is subject to change. Part two and three contain spoilers for X3, so if you don't want to know, only read part one.

Note: "Anna-Marie" was Rogue's original name in the comic books, so I used it here. Ditto the name of the boy she kissed, and the county she grew up in, since I didn't remember it from the movie. All of the rest comes from the movieverse however.

Finally: I accept praise and flames, but constructive criticism is my ambrosia.

The first time that my power developed, it happened suddenly, an instant curse that set up camp in my life. Looking back, I remember a few instances the week before I put Cody in a coma, when I experienced feelings or thoughts that made no sense in context. My friends complained a couple of times about sudden nausea, and I remember cracking pregnancy jokes. But it was me. I was absorbing their emotions and health without even realizing it.

My personal Armageddon came on a day that was supposed to be one of the highlights of my childhood. Cody Robbins, the guy I had been into all year, had asked me to the spring dance. I had spent weeks making sure that everything would be perfect, scheduling a hair appointment, getting my brows waxed, and buying an adorable, pale-blue, satin dress, with matching purse, heels, and wrap. The day before the dance, Cody came over, supposedly to discuss corsages, but really just to hang out. We were up in my room, discussing all sorts of things, school, friends, life plans. I had been dying to kiss him the whole time, but I kept remembering that my parents were just down the hall, and Daddy owned a shot-gun. It was Mississippi, after all. Finally, I decided that he looked too cute to resist, so I leaned over and laid one on him.

I was assailed by images and sounds. Going fishing with my brother _but I don't have a brother_ trying time after time to make it to the football team _I barely understand the game_ jeez, Anna-Marie sure has gotten hot _that's me sitting in the back row, but how can I see myself? _crying when Daisy died 'it's okay, son, we'll get a new dog' but I don't want a new dog, I want Daisy back _I don't understand_ What's happening to me _What's happening to me _It hurts _What's happening _It hurts _What's happ- _I'm dying.

I broke contact and saw him lying there on my bed convulsing. I panicked, and I remember my parents running in, and then the rest of the day is choppy. We got him to the hospital, I remember that, and I remember trying to explain to everyone what had happened. There was another accident in the waiting room, and although contact wasn't for more than a few seconds, it was enough to get the staff to whisk me away into a room for tests. I remember blood-work, and reflex tests, and waiting so long, and no one would tell me about Cody! It was around 6:30 a.m. on the day I was supposed to be going to the dance, when the doctor came in and explained to my parents and me that I was a mutant. I remember my mommy's sobs, and my daddy's angry refusal, but I was too numb to feel anything. I asked about Cody again, and the doctor explained that he was in a coma, and that they didn't know when he would wake up. Then I felt something, I felt guilt. I was the reason that Cody was in the hospital. I was dangerous.

The doctor wanted me to stay a few more days for additional tests, but my daddy said that I was tired, and I needed to go home, we'd come back the next day. So we drove home in silence, and my mommy tucked me into bed like I was a little girl sick with the flu. But unlike when I had been sick, my mommy never came in with juice or soup or even to check on me. They left me alone in my room to stare at the spot where I had nearly killed Cody Robbins.

It started to sink in, the problems that I might have, being a mutant. Only about a month ago, a mutant had been run out of town. But that was different, I rationalized, he was a new-comer, and was stirring up trouble. Surely my friends and family would convince everyone that I was no different. Still, I thought with a feeling of trepidation, Caldecott County is not a good place for a mutant.

I woke suddenly that night, unable to breathe. There was something pressing down on me, suffocating me. I lashed out, and my hand connected with an arm. Once again, thoughts overwhelmed me, my father's thoughts, the most vivid of which proclaimed that I was like a rabid dog; I had to be put down for my own good. When I released him, he stumbled back from the bed, and I tore the green couch cushion from my face. I saw him standing there trying to catch his breath, and I saw my mother watching me with wide eyes from the doorway.

"Anna-Marie," She murmured, "Anna, we were doing it for you. So you wouldn't have to be- So you wouldn't have to deal with-" She ended with a grimace, of disgust over what I had become or the fact that she couldn't articulate, I didn't know. Simultaneously I was filled with terror and fury. How DARE they decide what was best for me. They were my _parents_; they were supposed to protect me, no matter what.

I leapt out of bed, and screamed at them to get out of my room. When they failed to move quick enough, I ran at them with my bare arms outstretched, already willing to use myself as a weapon. As I slammed the door behind them I heard my father yelling that he wouldn't allow me to threaten him like that, and that he was calling the sheriff. Ironically, the sheriff was my uncle, but I knew that our relationship wouldn't help me, I'd seen what he'd done to that man a month ago.

I scrambled around the room, throwing on a pair of jeans, and a long hooded sweatshirt, despite the muggy spring night. Still not comfortable with the amount of skin showing, I dug through my sock drawer until I found an old scarf, and wound it around my neck. Grabbing a duffel bag from my closet, I stuffed a few changes of clothes in, along with a few essential toiletries, all of the money I had access too, and, at the last moment, a photo album. Standing there in my room, with all of the things I needed to run, it suddenly occurred to me that I had no where to go, or anyway to get there. Glancing around, my eyes fell on the old map that decorated my wall, and with a swift tug, I pulled it free and jammed it and my passport into my bag. I opened my window and threw my bag out, and noticed that my neighbor, Jerry, had his light still on. Reaching for my phone, I prayed that Jerry wasn't on the internet.

"Hello?" His voice sounded confused, as well it should be at 2 a.m.

"Jer? It's Anna," I started, relieved beyond belief that he had answered.

"Anna, what are you doing calling at-"

"Look, I got in a fight with the 'rents about the dance tonight, but Carrie just called, and she's drunk, and she needs someone to pick her up, so can you through down your keys?" Wow, I could be a decent liar when I tried.

"What dance? Oh right the spring fling thing. You lose track of these things when you're in college. Now, wha-"

"I need your keys," I interrupted, "Pronto. I tell you about it later."

"Of course you can have my keys," Jerry said, finally catching the urgency in my voice, "In fact, why don't I drive y-"

"That's not necessary, I'm sure Carrie would like as few people to see her smashed as possible. Look, I'll get your keys to you first thing tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine, here they go." And with that, Jerry opened his window, and tossed the keys down into the grass between our houses.

"You'll hear about everything tomorrow," I promised as I hung up. He would hear about it, I realized, but not from me. With one last longing look at the pale-blue dress, I climbed down the trellis, grabbed my bag and the keys and took off in Jerry's car. When I reached the bus station, I put the keys in the glove box and locked the car. I figured he had a spare set, and they'd find the car when Jerry reported it, and me, missing the next day.

As I bought a ticket to as far north as possible, I pondered the issue of my identity. Anna, who had believed that she could trust those she loved implicitly, was dead. Even Marie, who was made of harder stuff but was a marshmallow inside, was temporarily in a coma. So who was I? Where did I fit?

A man nearby was watching the news, and the anchorwoman was discussing an odd variation of a local plant that was killing livestock and some domesticated animals. "It should be noted that these rogue plants look practically identical to their common counterparts, but are incredibly deadly."

Huh, listen to that, sounds familiar. Rogue… I like it.


End file.
